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Delaware County, Pennsylvania | State Prison Information
SCI Chester is a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections state prison located at 500 East 4th Street in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Families can use this guide to understand how to locate someone in state custody, contact the facility, arrange approved visits, send mail, review parole information and find official release resources.
SCI Chester is different from Delaware County's George W. Hill jail. Bail generally does not authorize release from an existing state prison sentence.
Pennsylvania State Correctional InstitutionChester, Delaware CountyOfficial DOC Resources and Family InformationSCI Chester official main line 610-490-5412
Center City Bail Bonds assists with eligible bail matters involving separate criminal proceedings. An existing state prison sentence is not ended by purchasing a bail bond.
Official facility information from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. SCI Chester and Center City Bail Bonds are separate: Center City is a private company in Philadelphia and does not operate the prison.
Facility
SCI Chester
State Correctional Institution
Address
500 East 4th Street
Chester, PA 19013
Facility Type
Pennsylvania State Prison
Medium security, for men (per the DOC).
Official Inmate Locator
Pennsylvania DOC
Search the state's official locate-an-inmate service.
Visitation
DOC Inmate Visitation System
Advance scheduling required.
Official sources:SCI Chester (PA DOC)(opens in a new tab)
SCI Chester is a Pennsylvania state correctional institution operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC). The DOC describes it as a medium-security institution for men. It sits at 500 East 4th Street in the City of Chester, Delaware County, near the Delaware River.
According to the DOC, SCI Chester was the 24th state correctional institution to open in Pennsylvania, and its original mission paired public safety with substance use treatment. Today the DOC lists academic education, vocational training, substance use treatment and reentry programming among the institution's offerings, along with its housing units, including the Little Scandinavia Housing Unit.
People at SCI Chester are held under the state's correctional authority, generally after a court has imposed a state sentence. That makes SCI Chester very different from a county jail: it does not book new arrests, and it does not run a county bail posting window. County detention and bail functions in Delaware County are handled through the courts and George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton.
This guide does not publish population counts or security procedures. For current operating information, use the DOC's official SCI Chester page.
Operating Agency
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections offers an official service to locate an inmate or parolee in the state system. The DOC states that its information is updated daily.
Start with the person's last name, or the DOC inmate number if you have it. Adding a first name can help narrow a common surname.
Keep in mind
Official State Search
Locate an Inmate or Parolee
Run by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections on pa.gov.
Open Official PA Inmate Locator (official site, opens in a new tab)Contact SCI Chester
The institution's main line. Staff may limit what they share by phone.
Both are in Delaware County, but they are run by different governments and work in very different ways.
Pennsylvania state correctional institution
Delaware County correctional facility
A person serving an existing state prison sentence generally cannot obtain release from that sentence merely by posting a bail bond.
A separate pending case may carry its own court conditions, but satisfying them does not eliminate another sentence or hold.
A general overview of state custody. It is not legal advice about anyone's individual sentence.
Imposes the sentence after a conviction, including any minimum and maximum terms, and handles later court matters in the case.
Holds people committed to state custody, administers sentence records, runs institutions such as SCI Chester and provides programming and reentry services.
Decides whether to grant parole to people under its authority and sets parole conditions. Parole is not automatic or guaranteed.
After an authorized parole release, supervision staff monitor compliance with the conditions the Board set.
Center City Bail Bonds is a private company and has no role in sentencing, DOC custody, parole decisions or supervision.
Parole is a conditional release from incarceration where the law allows it. Eligibility and approval are separate: the Pennsylvania Parole Board states that parole is not automatic or guaranteed.
The earliest point at which a person may be considered for parole where the sentence allows it. Not a promised release date.
The end of the sentence imposed. The state's authority over the sentence generally runs until this date.
Meeting the legal threshold to be considered. Eligibility and approval are separate.
The review process, which may include an interview, reports and required programming information.
The Pennsylvania Parole Board decides whether to grant or refuse parole. The Board states parole is not automatic.
If parole is granted and every condition is met, release happens when authorized, followed by community supervision.
Parole is not commercial bail. No one can buy, arrange or guarantee parole, including Center City Bail Bonds.
Official sources:Pennsylvania Parole Board(opens in a new tab)Parole Process(opens in a new tab)
An illustrative educational sequence. Not every case follows these steps, different parole categories can have different procedures, and there is no automatic timetable.
Use DOC records and official sentence information to confirm where the person is held and what sentence applies.
Whether and when parole consideration is possible depends on the sentence and applicable law.
Institutional staff gather information such as conduct and program participation for the review.
Where applicable, the person may be interviewed as part of the Board's review.
The Board decides whether to grant parole. An eligibility date does not mean parole will be granted.
An approved home plan and other release arrangements may be needed before release.
Detainers, holds or other conditions may need to be resolved first.
When authorized, the person is released and supervised under the conditions the Board set.
Keep in mind
Release from a state prison follows an authorized decision, such as a parole grant or the end of a sentence. There is no published daily release schedule, and this guide cannot predict when any person will leave.
Release depends on the person's sentence and the authority under which they are held, not on any daily schedule.
A release must be authorized by the responsible agency, such as through a parole decision or the end of a sentence.
Housing plans, identification and community connections are commonly part of preparing for release.
Another agency's detainer or a separate pending case can keep a person in custody even after other conditions are met.
Reentry Service Office
The DOC describes Reentry Service Offices as helping incarcerated people approaching potential minimum or release dates. SCI Chester's page lists reentry resources such as:
Putting money in an inmate account does not affect state prison release eligibility, and the Center City form is not a parole application.
View Official Pennsylvania Parole Information (official site, opens in a new tab)Visits are arranged through the Pennsylvania DOC's Inmate Visitation System. The rules below are the DOC's general statewide guidance; facility-specific restrictions or changes can apply.
Visiting Times
Confirm in the DOC System
This guide does not list SCI Chester visiting hours. Choose an approved time when you schedule, and contact the facility at 610-490-5412 with questions.
Center City does not schedule prison visitation.
Video visits use the same official DOC visitation system. Published rules can change, and availability can differ with custody or institutional restrictions. No weekly or daily slot is guaranteed.
Use the DOC service page, not a third-party scheduler.
Access Official Video Visitation (official site, opens in a new tab)Follow the Pennsylvania DOC's contact-an-inmate instructions for setting up accounts.
The DOC identifies Securus as its telephone-account provider. Approved family contacts may need a Securus account to receive calls. This guide does not list call rates.
The DOC identifies ViaPath Technologies for electronic messaging. Messages are subject to review and facility procedures. Device access varies and is not described here.
Center City does not operate these systems and will never ask for your phone or messaging account login. SCI Chester's main number is not an inmate's personal line.
Different kinds of mail go to different places. Using the wrong address or format can get an item rejected.
General Personal Mail
DOC Mail Processing Address
Physical Institution Address
Not for Personal Letters
500 East 4th Street, Chester, PA 19013
This is where the prison is. It is not the default address for ordinary personal correspondence.
Check that the person's name and DOC inmate number are correct before sending. The DOC may reject improperly addressed or prohibited items. Center City does not manage inmate mail.
Official DOC Mail Rules (official site, opens in a new tab)The Pennsylvania DOC identifies JPay as a provider for inmate account deposits. Depending on current DOC rules, deposits may be made online, by phone, by money order or at an institutional kiosk. Confirm accepted methods and restrictions with the DOC before sending.
To avoid scams, use only the DOC's official instructions and the providers listed there.
Money deposited into an inmate account is not bail.
These are offerings the DOC lists for the institution. They are not available to or guaranteed for every incarcerated person, and this guide makes no claims about individual eligibility or outcomes.
Facility-listed examples include adult basic education, GED, English as a second language, financial literacy and postsecondary opportunities.
Facility-listed examples include carpentry and cosmetology.
Examples include substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral programs, violence prevention and family and parenting-related programs.
Examples include digital literacy, employment preparation, budgeting and connections to community resources.
Official sources:SCI Chester (PA DOC)(opens in a new tab)
Visitor screening, travel and access arrangements follow current DOC rules. This guide does not give parking or entrance instructions, and rideshare access to the institution is not guaranteed.
Physical Facility Address
State Correctional Institution Chester
500 East 4th Street, Chester, PA 19013
Main phone: 610-490-5412
Personal mail goes to the DOC processing address in the mail section, not here.
Separate Private Office
Center City Bail Bonds
1238 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 · (215) 870-8197
Center City does not have an office at SCI Chester.
SCI Chester holds people under Pennsylvania state correctional authority. Someone serving an existing state prison sentence generally cannot obtain release from that sentence by purchasing a bail bond.
An incarcerated person may also have a separate pending criminal case. If an authorized court permits monetary bail in that matter, a professional bail bond may be relevant to that case only. Even then:
Center City's Role
Separate Eligible Cases Only
Center City Bail Bonds may assist with a qualifying separate bail matter. It does not:
County-level court information starts with the courthouse directory. For an illustrative bail calculation on an eligible court case, use the calculator in the Delaware County Courthouse guide; no calculator here represents an SCI Chester release amount.
Related bail guides:Felony Bail BondsDrug Charge Bail BondsProbation Violation Bail BondsWarrant Bail Bonds
Use the person's correct legal name, spelled as it appears on official records.
Use the official state identification number when available. It is required for mail and many account services.
Verify through the DOC locator that SCI Chester is the person's current institution.
Check the authorized visitor list and appointment requirements in the DOC visitation system.
Follow the correct DOC mailing and account deposit instructions for each type of item.
Use official records, the responsible agency and qualified legal counsel for individual case questions.
Never send Social Security numbers, passwords, inmate account logins or medical information to Center City. Our site has no case lookup or parole application.
Answers about custody, parole, visitation, mail, accounts and separate bail cases.
SCI Chester is at 500 East 4th Street, Chester, PA 19013, in the City of Chester, Delaware County. That is the facility's physical address; personal mail goes to a different address (see the mail question below).
SCI Chester is a state prison. It is a Pennsylvania state correctional institution operated by the Department of Corrections and described by the DOC as a medium-security institution for men. Delaware County's county jail is George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton.
The DOC lists SCI Chester's main telephone as 610-490-5412. It is the institution's main line, not a way to reach an incarcerated person directly.
Use the Pennsylvania DOC's official locate-an-inmate-or-parolee service. Start with the last name or the DOC inmate number; a first name can narrow a common surname. The DOC says its information is updated daily. Confirm important details with the DOC.
Not generally. The DOC locator covers the state corrections system. Someone held at a county facility such as George W. Hill may not appear in it; contact that county facility for county custody information.
Generally no. Bail applies to pending criminal cases before they are resolved. A person serving an existing state sentence generally cannot end that sentence by posting a bail bond. If the person also has a separate pending case where a court allows monetary bail, bail may matter for that case only, and other sentences or holds still apply.
Bail is a court-set condition of release while a criminal case is pending. Parole is a conditional release from a sentence, decided by the Pennsylvania Parole Board for people under its authority. Parole cannot be bought, and it is not a form of commercial bail.
Where a sentence permits parole, the minimum date is generally the earliest point at which the person may be considered for parole. It is an eligibility milestone, not an automatic release date.
No. The Pennsylvania Parole Board states that parole is not automatic or guaranteed. Eligibility only means the person may be considered; the Board decides, and detainers or other conditions can also affect release.
Schedule through the DOC Inmate Visitation System at least two days in advance. You need an account and must be on the person's approved visitor list. Statewide guidance generally allows up to four in-person visits a month, including one weekend visit, with up to four visitors per visit. Confirm available times in the system; this guide does not list SCI Chester visiting hours.
Current DOC policy offers free video visits for eligible individuals through the same visitation system, generally up to six per month including one weekend visit, with up to six participants. Limits can depend on custody status and may change.
The DOC uses Securus for inmate telephone accounts and ViaPath Technologies for electronic messaging. Follow the DOC's contact-an-inmate instructions to set up an account. Communications are subject to review and facility rules. Center City does not operate these services.
For general personal mail, the DOC lists: Smart Communications/PA DOC, Inmate Name/Inmate Number, SCI Chester, PO Box 33028, St. Petersburg, FL 33733. Publications, legal or privileged mail, original documents and official identity documents follow different rules, so check the DOC mail rules before sending them. Do not send personal letters to 500 East 4th Street.
The DOC identifies JPay as a provider for inmate account deposits, with options that may include online, phone, money order or kiosk methods. Use the DOC's send-money instructions and only the providers it lists. An account deposit is not bail and does not affect a sentence or parole.
The DOC's SCI Chester page lists academic education, vocational training such as carpentry and cosmetology, substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral and violence prevention programs, and reentry services such as digital literacy, budgeting and job preparation. Participation depends on the institution and the individual; no program is guaranteed to every person.
Possibly. If an authorized court has set monetary bail on a separate pending case, Center City Bail Bonds may be able to discuss bonding options for that case. Bail on a separate case does not end an existing prison sentence, does not override other holds and has nothing to do with parole decisions.
Center City Bail Bonds
1238 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
24/7 bail assistance
